Rene Russo

With sparkling blue eyes, exquisite cheekbones and a sassy, down-to-earth attitude, Rene Russo has parlayed a successful modeling career into an equally prosperous acting one. While still a high schoo...
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Director Dan Gilroy has been accused of copyright infringement amid allegations he stole the plot of his Oscar-nominated movie Nightcrawler from a Utah filmmaker. Richard Dutcher filed a lawsuit in Salt Lake City's U.S. District Court on Thursday (19Feb15), claiming Nightcrawler bears striking similarities to his 2007 movie Falling, about a freelance news videographer who scans police radio channels and captures footage of a murder in progress.
His film, which was written in 1999, only received a limited release in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, but he is convinced it gave Gilroy the idea for his 2014 crime thriller, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role.
Dutcher's lawyer, Stephen Silverman, fired off a cease-and-desist letter to Nightcrawler filmmakers after the plaintiff saw the movie at the theatre, but they ignored the warning and now the Utah resident is suing.
Dutcher is seeking an injunction to halt the copying, public display or distribution of Nightcrawler, in addition to unspecified damages for the alleged infringement from producers at Bold Films, Open Road Films and NBC Universal Media, who have yet to comment on the legal action.
Gilroy, whose actress wife Rene Russo co-stars in Nightcrawler, is not directly named as a defendant as he is believed to have assigned his interest and rights to bosses at Bold Films, reports the Salt Lake Tribune.
Gilroy is nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Oscar at the Academy Awards on Sunday night (22Feb15).

Actress Rene Russo fought back tears as she accepted a Best Supporting Actress honour for her role in Nightcrawler at the 14th annual Movies For Grownups Awards Gala in Beverly Hills, on Monday (02Feb15), as she paid tribute to her mum and a favourite teacher. Announcing "I’ve never won anything in my frickin' life", the 60-year-old Thomas Crown Affair star appeared stunned to accept "my first award ever", and took a moment during her emotional speech to thank her mother, Shirley Balocca Russo, calling her "the best mum in the world", and then turning her attention to her 8th grade Spanish teacher.
Russo said the unnamed educator helped her navigate through "all those f**ked-up, a**hole football players. They called me Jolly Green Giant. You didn’t keep me from dropping out of high school, but you did keep me from killing myself."
She finished her acceptance speech by singling out her longtime agent, John Crosby, who she described as "a kick-a**, cigar-smoking, Scotch-drinking, kilt-wearing, hot-as-hell for a man who has been my manager for nearly half a century", adding, "Thank you for making up for my deadbeat dad, and putting me up for every single movie I was sure I wasn’t good enough to do."
And the last tribute went to her husband and Nightcrawler director Dan Gilroy, stating, "You wrote the most kick-a** movie, it was absolutely perfect, and you fit me into it. You’re the most amazing director and you direct me with love and compassion and kindness and everything that you are, truly, every day."
Russo wasn't the only Hollywood star honoured at the AARP event - her Tin Cup co-star Kevin Costner, Julianne Moore, J.K. Simmons, and Theory of Everything co-stars Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones were also presented with awards.

"About quarter of the way through (filming), he brought in a menu - and he doesn't remember much because he was like so thin and so crazed - and he said, 'Look at that. Look at that burger right there.'... I did not eat around him or talk at all to Jake." Actress Rene Russo was stunned with her Nightcrawler co-star Jake Gyllenhaal's dedication to losing an extreme amount of weight for the film.

Actress Rene Russo is adamant there was nothing "brave" about her decision to speak openly about her bipolar diagnosis, insisting coping with the mental condition is just a part of her life experience. The Thomas Crown Affair star unexpectedly went public with her lifelong battle with the mood disorder and her use of medication during a taped appearance on America's The Queen Latifah Show earlier this month (Oct14), and her admission won her praise from fans and mental health educators, who called her "brave" for discussing her secret illness with viewers.
However, Russo admits she was surprised by the reaction, because she doesn't think there's anything "shocking" about her health news.
The 60 year old explains, "For me, saying that, people said, 'Oh, you were so brave to come out.' To me, it's like saying, 'Oh, I take medication for high blood pressure.' I would love to take credit for being brave, but I don't feel that way about it...
"The next day (after the news went public), there were adjectives like, 'shocking', 'stunning', 'confession...' I thought, if I shot my husband and buried him in the backyard, OK, you can say that that would be shocking! It's crazy."
However, Russo insists she is only too happy to discuss her struggles with bipolar disease and how she copes with the illness if it helps others suffering from similar health issues.
She adds, "Unfortunately I think depression and anxiety is really hard to live with and what people don't need is to feel bad about themselves because they decide to go on medication. The only thing I can think (of) is mental disease equals straight jacket. I think that that's what people think and if I can share an experience, because I know a lot of people are hurting out there and feel ashamed - I never understood it - but if I could share to help anyone out there... I'm not saying medication is right for everyone - (but) it was right for me."

Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo had a little superstar support at their Nightcrawler premiere in New York City on Monday night (27Oct14) - Beyonce, Jay Z and rapper 50 Cent were there to check out the critically-acclaimed film. The movie star is friends with the power couple and appeared in the trailer to promote their recent On The Run tour.

Actress Rene Russo took time away from Hollywood a decade ago to perfect her gardening skills and become a dairy farmer. After shooting back-to-back films for years, the Outbreak star decided it was time to take a break from showbusiness after filming Yours, Mine & Ours and Two for the Money in 2004 and 2005.
She did not return until she was offered a role in 2011's Thor, and now she is revealing exactly what she was doing while she was away from the big screen.
She tells WENN, "I just did a couple of other things that I wanted to do, like work with the DWP (Department of Water and Power) in California to start a garden.
"I feel that California doesn't have a sense of place because people just ripped everything out of the ground when east came west and brought their water loving gardens, so we're in a huge drought. I have this completely native garden that I spent a lot of time with a designer doing. It's an amazingly artistically creative thing to do.
"And then I actually started a dairy company. I have 40 cows! It's right outside of Buffalo and I have this friend who used to be a farmer and this incredible chef and he came to Christmas with this amazing milk and yogurt and I said, 'You made this? You could sell this!'
"It started and we've gotten amazing write-ups as the best yogurt in the country. It's called White Cow Dairy. Whole Foods (grocery store) said they wanted us but we didn't want to go because we wanted to keep it local sustainable foods for the farmers because they're paying nothing. It's helpful to the community and it's really healthy. I thought this would be fun to do and we have one store (in Buffalo). So we'll see where it goes."
Russo explains that the idea of playing Thor's mother in the superhero blockbuster tempted her back to the movie industry, adding, "It was Thor and I was gonna play a queen. I was like, 'OK, what the hell'. It's a small part, I got to go to London, so I'll do it."
She has since made upcoming films Nightcrawler and The Intern, but she insists she will walk away from the limelight again if good scripts don't come her way.
Russo adds, "Nightcrawler was a killer role. I could not have said 'no' to this. I don't know if there is another role that I feel excited about doing. I just take it one day at a time. If not, I'll go milk my cows!"

Actress Rene Russo has revealed she is bipolar in a revealing new TV interview. The actress was promoting her new movie Nightcrawler on Queen Latifah's U.S. talk show when one probing question prompted Russo to open up about her lifelong battle with mood and energy disorders.
The host asked Russo and her co-star Jake Gyllenhaal to talk about something they have had to "push through" in their lives, and the actress fired back, "My mom said my whole childhood... was stop and go. And then I stopped and was like, 'Whoa' - that was it for me. I didn't really expect to say this, but that was really it for me.
"I literally crashed, hit a wall and couldn't get out of bed. I thought it was depression, but if you take anti-depressants it speeds you up more."
Revealing she had never spoken about her secret bipolar battle, Russo admitted she now combats the disorder with medication, and she urges other bipolar sufferers to do the same.
She added, "I have friends who don't want to go on medication, and they are suffering."
The stunned host said, "Thank you so much for sharing that. That can really help some people."
The interview will air in America on 30 October (14).

The Weinstein Company
Sundance is long gone, Cannes sailed away months ago, and both Tribeca and the Los Angeles Film Festivals have cleared away until next year. But when one major film festival ends, another starts putting its lineup together, and this time, it's Canada's time to shine. The Toronto International Film Festival, which will run from September 4 until the 14, has unveiled the list of titles they'll be premiering this year, and it's packed with under-the-radar indies, highly anticipated returns from accliamed directors, and of course, several likely awards contenders. But with nearly 60 films all making their debut in Toronto this fall, it can be hard to pick out the good from the bad and the exciting from the ones you've probably seen before. In an attempt to simplify the decision-making process for you, we've highlighted some of the most exciting films to hit north of the border this fall.
The Imitation Game Who’s Involved: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kiera Knightley, Matthew Goode and Charles Dance star What It’s About: The British mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing, who helped the Allies win WWII by cracking German codes, and was then prosecuted by the government for being homosexual. Thoughts: Finally, a cast good enough to convince you that math is interesting for two hours.
The Last Five Years Who’s Involved: Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan What It’s About: A musical that tells the story of a married couple’s five-year relationship – his perspective runs from the day they met to when it all fell apart, and hers from the end back to the beginning. Thoughts: The perfect example as to why you should pay attention when your theater nerd friend tries plays you cast recordings.
Foxcatcher Who’s Involved: Bennett Miller directs; Channing Tatum, Steve Carell, and Mark Ruffalo starWhat It’s About: Based on a true story, it follows two championship wrestler brothers and the tragic consequences that they face after getting involved with an eccentric millionaire coach. Thoughts: We really are going to have to come up with the Tatum equivalent of “McConaissance” sometime soon.
A Little ChaosWho’s Involved: Alan Rickman directs; Kate Winslet, Stanley Tucci and Rickman star What It’s About: A landscape gardener finds herself struggling with the politics of Louis XIV’s court and her own demons after she’s hired to work at the Garden of Versailles. Thoughts: You had us at “Rickman.”
The Riot Club Who’s Involved: Lone Scherfig directs; Sam Claflin, Max Irons, Natalie Dormer and Jessica Brown-Findlay star What It’s About: A privileged young man is inducted into the “Riot’s Club,” an exclusive, wild group of young men full of debauchery and bad behavior, during his first year at Oxford. Thoughts: Look! It’s that guy from that thing! And that girl, from that other thing! I like them. They should be in more things.
Before We Go Who’s Involved: Chris Evans directs; Evans and Alice Eve star What It’s About: Two strangers bond over the course of one night in Manhattan, and the conflicts in their lives allow them to explore more about each other and themselves. Thoughts: Captain America is directing movies now!
Warner Bros. Pictures
This Is Where I Leave You Who’s Involved: Shawn Levy directs; Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, Adam Driver, Connie Britton and Jane Fonda star What It’s About: Four adult siblings return to their childhood home after their father dies. Dysfunction and hijinks ensue. Thoughts: Does Driver say “outer space” in this? Can we re-write the script so that he does?
Men, Women and Children Who’s Involved: Jason Reitman directs; Jennifer Garner, Adam Sandler and Judy Greer star What It’s About: A group of parents and children navigate the way the Internet has changed their relationships and lives. Thoughts: Well, it’s got be better than Labor Day, right?
Miss Julie Who’s Involved: Liv Ullman directs; Jessica Chastain and Colin Farrell star What It’s About: Set over the course of one night in the 1880s, an aristocratic woman and her father’s valet struggle for power. Thoughts: Should we also be thinking about the “Farrellissance?”
Nightcrawler Who’s Involved: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, and Bill Paxton star What It’s About: An ambitious journalist becomes involved with the world of LA nighttime journalism, and the line between spectator and perpetrator becomes blurred. Thoughts: Oh, so this isn’t an X-Men solo film? That’s slightly disappointing.
Rosewater Who’s Involved: Jon Stewart directs; Gael Garcia Bernal stars What It’s About: The true story of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari, who appeared on The Daily Show before being imprisoned for five months by the Iranian government. Thoughts: This is the movie that gave us Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and for that we shall always be grateful.
The Theory of Everything Who’s Involved: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Emily Watson, and David Thewlis star What It’s About: The life and relationship of world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking and his wife Jane Wilde from their first meeting at Cambridge through Hawking’s diagnosis through their numerous accomplishments. Thoughts: Oscar Season 2014: Alan Turing vs. Stephen Hawking in The Battle of the British Genius Biopics.
Whiplash Who’s Involved: Damien Chazelle directs; Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons star What It’s About: An ambitious jazz drummer who enrolls at a prestigious music conservatory, but must endure the brutal, intense tutelage of a brilliant, drill sergeant-like teacher in order to achieve greatness. Thoughts: Look, we’ll stop talking about this one once it finally comes out, and not a moment sooner, okay?
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It pays to work for filmmaker Nancy Meyers - the director has just cast her former assistant in her new movie. Jason Orley was invited to audition for a key role when Meyers failed to find an actor she liked and now he'll be acting opposite Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro in comedy The Intern.
Orley worked for Meyers while she was making 2009 movie It's Complicated. The Intern will mark his acting debut, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In the film, Hathaway's character runs an online fashion site, where De Niro's 70-year-old widower lands a job as an intern.
Rene Russo and Nat Wolff will also appear in the film.

Paramount via Everett Collection
It's hard to believe that it's been 25 years since Charlie Sheen's Ricky Vaughn emerged from the bullpen to the strains of "Wild Thing" to help the Cleveland Indians win a division title. Coming out during an era of more high minded baseball movies like Bull Durham and Field of Dreams, Major League was pure goofy fun… more interested in laughs than in the game's potential life lessons.
For many baseball fans, an annual viewing of Major League is as much a part of spring as Opening Day. As with Caddyshack, there are fans that can quote the movie's best lines from memory. Even if you have your own home shrine to voodoo god Jobu, here are some fun facts about the movie that you might not know:
1. Although the movie is set in Cleveland, the scenes inside the ballpark were shot at Milwaukee's old County Stadium. Bob Uecker, who played announcer Harry Doyle, has really worked in Milwaukee since 1971 as the play-by-play man for the hometown Brewers... a fact that writer-director David S. Ward didn't know when he cast him. He had based the casting strictly on Uecker's work on the sitcom Mr. Belvedere and in a series of Miller Lite commercials (if you look closely, that's the beer that Doyle is drinking in the movie).
2. Sheen really was a pitcher in high school for Santa Monica High. He now claims that he took steroids prior to doing the movie so that his fastball would be more realistic. Dennis Haysbert, who later became famous as President David Palmer on 24 and played Cuban slugger Pedro Cerrano, was a football and basketball player in high school before switching to fencing at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
3. Haysbert's hitting as Cerrano looked real because it was. Even though he didn't play baseball past Little League, Haysbert actually cleared the fences multiple times during filming.
4. Despite playing a speedy outfielder in the movie, Wesley Snipes was so slow that they ended up showing him running in slow motion in the film to provide the illusion of speed.
5. The original ending featured the scheming owner played by Margaret Whitton — the widow of the beloved former owner — as secretly being behind the team's winning, with her devious threats meant to bring the boys together. When test audiences hated it, they reshot it to keep her as the bad guy.
6. Entourage's Jeremy Piven shot multiple scenes for the movie, playing a bench player who likes to heckle the opposing team. When they started editing, they realized that the scenes didn't work, so they completely cut his character from the film.
7. Prior to making her film debut as Lynn Wells, the ex-girlfriend of Tom Berenger's character, Rene Russo was known primarily as one of the top models of the '70s. A Los Angeles native, one of Russo's classmates growing up was sitcom-star-turned-director Ron Howard.
6. Pete Vuckovich, who plays evil Yankees first baseman Clu Haywood, was actually a star Major League pitcher who won the American League Cy Young Award in 1982. Playing largely in games with a designated hitter, Vuckovich only rarely batted during his career.
7. According to Ward, during the celebration scene at the end where Corbin Bernsen's third baseman Roger Dorn punches Sheen for sleeping with his wife, Bernsen actually connected with the shot, leaving a welt on Sheen's face.
8. Neil Flynn, who went on to bigger roles on television as the Janitor in Scrubs and a suburban father in The Middle, plays one of the long-suffering Cleveland fans complaining about the state of the team.
9. Flynn and Stacy Carroll, who plays Dorn's wife who has revenge sex with Ricky, both also appeared in a short-lived TV show called Sable, which starred Russo as the girlfriend of a children's book writer who transforms into a superhero at night.
10. The song that plays at the beginning of the movie is "Burn On" by Randy Newman. Written in 1972, it is an ode to an incident in 1969 when the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught on fire due to an oil slick and other debris floating in the polluted water.
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Cast as Natasha to Jason Alexander's Boris in the mixed live action-animated feature "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle"

Starred opposite Clint Eastwood in "In the Line of Fire"

TV acting debut in "Sable" (ABC)

Began modeling after being spotted at a Rolling Stones concert

First film lead, the family picture "Buddy"

Summary

With sparkling blue eyes, exquisite cheekbones and a sassy, down-to-earth attitude, Rene Russo has parlayed a successful modeling career into an equally prosperous acting one. While still a high school student, she caught the attention of agent John Crosby who arranged a contract with modeling diva Nina Blanchard. Russo was an immediate success and became one of the top models of the 1970s and early 80s, appearing on the covers of many fashion magazines including <I>Vogue</I> and <I>Harper's Bazaar</I>. Russo moved to the Eileen Ford Agency where she worked with top photographers like Richard Avedon and Francesco Scavullo and went on to be featured prominently in a series of print ads and commercials for Revlon.

Abandoned family when Russo was two years old; reportedly contacted her after she began her modeling career; had a total of eight children by four different women; died of congestive heart failure in 1996 at age 74

Shirley Russo

Mother

Russo revealed in a March 14, 2002 "Good Morning America" interview that her mother raised her with a lesbian partner